Discovery of the Hanau city wall: When archaeologists investigate the school grounds

On the grounds of the Karl Rehbein School in Hanau , archaeologists have uncovered sections of the medieval city wall. A team led by excavation leader David Bauer has unearthed a square defensive tower, a cellar, a cesspool, and various rubble stone walls. The excavations are prompted by plans for a new school building. Before construction can begin, the site must first be examined for historical finds. Since the beginning of July, archaeologists have been searching for evidence of the past on the 240-square-meter excavation area at the Fronhof in the old town.

According to the city, most of the discoveries were made during the major excavations prior to construction. Due to the proximity of the planned new school building to the former city wall, historical finds on the school grounds were expected.

The exact procedure for the investigation of the subsoil was coordinated by the municipal company Hanau Real Estate and Construction Management, the Lower Monument Protection Authority and the State Office for Monument Preservation.

Construction on the school building is scheduled to begin at the end of October. First, the House of Crafts on Schlossplatz will be demolished to make room for the new building. Construction on the extension is scheduled to begin in January 2026, with completion expected in May 2028.

However, archaeologists' tasks include not only excavation, but also documentation of the findings. After excavators had removed the topsoil, profile sections were created to subsequently assign finds to a specific layer and thus date them. Findings are assessed and documented using laser surveys, GPS, drone photographs, laser scans, geomagnetic surveys, and digital data capture.

Despite significant progress, the excavations remain exciting. The heavy rainfall of the past few days has complicated and delayed the work, the city reports. "Since the excavation is not yet complete," said Sabine Küppers of the city's Lower Monument Preservation Authority, "there may still be some surprises."